Ebbw Vale Literary and Scientific Institution was built 1853-55 by the Ebbw Vale Iron Company. It is a stone-built 2-storey institute with a main north-east facade having a twin 2-bay gable-end with a central entry and flanking 3-bay wings.
An institute had been set up in 1849 in the vestry of Penuel Chapel, which soon became inconveniently small. The group set about raising funds for a new building, and in July 1852, Thomas Brown, ironmaster of Ebbw Vale, agreed to provide a site and building. The building cost £3000, and included a lecture hall, reading room, library, museum, and three classrooms. By 1878, membership had risen to 200, and a new wing was added in 1884, containing a laboratory. Possibly this refers to the south end. In 1904, a new lecture theatre was added to the rear. By 1931, the steelworks had ceased to fund the institute, and the upper floor was leased to the county council. Now used as an Adult Education Centre.
